India Herald 103118 by India Herald

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India Herald

VOL. 24 • NO. 44 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Sugar Land teen invited to the NYSE Closing Bell Ceremony

Houston Durga Bari Society hosts traditional Durga Puja

During the Durga Puja festival at Houston Durgabari Society from Oct. 14 to 21, authentic Durga Puja ambience of Kolkata neighborhoods transformed the Houston festival site. Above, devotees participate in a ritual called “Sindhur Khela,” (Vermillion game). On the day of the Vijayadashami after the conclusion of the ritual worship, married Bengali Hindu women apply Sindhur on the forehead and feet of the goddess and oﬀer sweets to her. Then they put Sindhur on each other’s faces and oﬀer sweets to each other. See Story on Page 6.

Dr. Jen Hanson, left, with Mehaa Amirthalingam Mehaa Amirthalingam, a freshman at the Global Studies Academy at Travis High School in Fort Bend ISD, is the second place winner in the top 10 young scientists in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Mehaa’s award winning discovery is her new idea of a toilet ﬂushing system that uses both freshwater and grey water. Her platform of research has been water conservation and she has been working on it for the last three years. On October 22, Mehaa was invited to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell with the top winner. Mehaa says that “if we do not make small adjustments in the way we utilize water now, we may have to make huge compromises in the future.” She cites the situation of taking

baths in a bucket to save and reuse grey water in Cape Town as a possibility in the future. When Mehaa was selected as one of the ﬁnalists (top 10) among thousands of applicants across the country in early June, she was assigned a mentor, Dr. Jen Hanson of MIT, from 3M with the objective of creating a prototype of the idea she submitted to the contest. With a rigorous short term research and additional help from a panel of 3M water scientists, she created a ﬁnal product that will potentially sell for a price of $30. Mehaa realized that the slow growth of grey water usage in homes in America is due to lack of awareness. She adds that in the early 1900s, the use of grey water was considered illegal, See Mehaa, Page 6

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Early voting: Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, 2018; Election Day : Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 Political ad paid for by Dean Hrbacek for Judge Campaign, Kathy Luckenbach, Treasurer; In compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial fairness Campaign Act.

•Passed $716 Billion to strengthen and rebuild our depleted military including much needed salary increases for our troops and their families •In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Pete Olson stood strong to make sure Houston has the resources needed for recovery. •Passed the largest tax cut in a generation fulfilling the Conservative promise to return tax dollars back to hard working Texas families and businesses.

U.S. Rep. Pete Olson presents a Texas cowboy hat to Prime Minister Modi on his first U.S. visit in New York on 09/28/14

I’m proud to represent one of the most diverse congressional districts in America and value the contributions that add to the rich tapestry of our region. I routinely seek counsel of people from diverse backgrounds. Whether visiting BAPS, participating in Diwali, Holi or India Independence Day celebrations, speaking with minority-owned business leaders, or welcoming newly elected Prime Minister Modi to America, I work to understand the issues of all I’m honored to represent. I’ve traveled to India (twice) to develop trade partnerships, strengthen ties and promote free Democracies that value liberty like we do in the U.S. On the Energy and Commerce Committee I’m working to increase energy trade between the U.S. and India. It’s an honor to represent such a diverse district. PAID FOR BY PETE OLSON FOR CONGRESS

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 3

NEWS

HTW Cookbook, a tribute to the community

The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands (HTW) has undertaken several novel projects in the past and its latest is a Cookbook. The HTW Cookbook has been a unique venture - a collection of recipes from family and friends belonging to the temple community. The cookbook was the brainchild of Rajani Rayachoti, member of the HTW community. She had earlier put together a community cookbook, “A taste of India” for the India Association of Southeast Texas, Beaumont. The HTW board of trustees, led by President Mukesh Mittal and Chairman Jagan Allam, welcomed the suggestion of a similar cookbook for the HTW community in 2016. The initiative was oﬃcially kicked oﬀ with a food tasting event in August 2016. Rajani then teamed up with Alka Mittal and Beth Kulkarni spreading the word among The Woodlands community. Together the threesome began collecting heirloom and creative recipes from friends and family. Averaging about 30 hours of work per week for over a year, the ladies worked on guidelines for the book, standardizing the language and proofreading recipe contributions. Beth Kulkarni spent tireless hours editing and formatting the collected data, spending nearly 2500 hours to get this book out as a labor of love. Alka was instrumental in making countless cold turkey calls to compile information, as well as coordinate with the contributors for photoshoots

of the dishes. The all-vegetarian cookbook contains nearly 300 recipes. The recipes do not contain eggs or gelatin. The HTW Youth was also involved in contributing recipes. The editors offer options to convert many recipes into vegan recipes, as well as provide alternate options for ingredients in many recipes. The recipes are home-cooked, tested and proven from all regions of India and all over the world. The editors believe the book is a true reflection of the global community that makes up the HTW membership. The book is conveniently categorized by sections such as soups, appetizers, snacks, rice and grains, main courses and desserts. One of the most innovative sections of the HTW Cookbook is the prasadam (puja offerings) section. Traditional recipes are presented here. The editors believe the book in general, and the prasadam section specifically, is one of the most valuable legacies one can leave behind for future generations. The book features 11 pages of beautifully photographed dishes by Anil Adoni. A long-time resident of The Woodlands, Anil volunteers his time capturing HTW’s events on camera. Along with Alka, he worked with recipe contributors to plate dishes attractively for the photoshoots. Other highlights of the book include a substantial index and glossary of spices and items for

those unfamiliar with Indian food. The HTW cookbook has been published by Jwalamukhi Mudranalaya Private Limited, based in Bengaluru, India. The HTW Cookbook is not merely a compilation of recipes, but a loving endeavor of dedicated cooking volunteers. “It was a project that brought the entire community together,” says Alka. The recipes are not just from residents in The Woodlands, but from all over the United States and overseas too. Rajani and her husband Vasu, feel the cookbook has created deep connections within the HTW community and also provided an ideal platform for involvement in the organization, for those who are not very ritualistic. It is a celebration of friendship and tribute to age-old cooking traditions held in the families of the contributors. The grand success of this project culminated in a pre-launch and food fest event on Sept. 30. Over 200 people attended the event, relishing delicious dishes cooked by the enthusiastic contributors, and also pre-ordered over 500 copies of the cookbook for their friends and families. The cookbook is on sale and can be purchased online (at http:// events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=o6bxs7dab&oei dk=a07efqgudlj09689248) or at the temple premises. A sales committee has been assembled to market the cookbook and will host a stall at the upcoming and much-awaited

Diwali Mela 2018, on Saturday November 3 at HTW premises. The books can also be shipped for $5. Bulk shipping is available too. The proceeds of the

cookbook sales would be used for various HTW improvement projects. —Priya Subramanian

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

NEWS

Vote based on ‘credentials,’ not ‘labels’ To the Editor: Thanks for letting us have the viewpoints of both Pete Olson and Sri Kulkarni in 24 October issue of India Herald. It is good to have their views side by side before the vote. I have a comment to make on one of these observations. I consider myself very ‘conservative’. I vote based on a candidate’s ‘credentials’, not ‘labels’ chosen by themselves. The couple of times I came across Pete Olson, I thought he is a decent man, deserving our support.

There is one thing I disagree with him, though. That is about ‘responsible’ gun control, which takes added importance in the light of the latest Pittsburgh shooting. After EVERY shooting and loss of innocent lives- students, police oﬃcers or innocent citizens -, ‘conservative’ leaders invariably say ‘this tragic time’ is not the time to do anything about gun control, as if they are willing to do anything at other times. Each time they make same such statements, conveniently

,QGLD +HUDOG

Established in 1995 by Rajeev Gadgil, Seshadri Kumar & Salim Sindhi India Herald (USPS Periodical 017-699) is published every Wednesday by India Herald, Inc. for a subscription rate of $25 per year. Periodical postage paid at Houston and Sugar Land, Texas. POST MASTER: Send address changes to India Herald, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Texas 77487 Publisher & Editor: Seshadri Kumar www.india-herald.com; email:editor@india-herald.com India Herald assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on information included herein. ©India Herald. All rights reserved.

blame ‘mental patients’ for the shooting, do nothing and collect money from gun lobbies, who want to sell guns to any - criminal, terrorist or ‘mental patient’. “Second amendment” has come in handy to them, as if they ever bothered about the constitution or its evolution. Wise men probably have these people in mind when they coined the phrase ‘devil quoting scriptures’! Pete Olson may not be the one to get rich from gun lobbies’ bribes, but he chose to be led by his party leaders, who do. If he blindly follows his leaders and does not do anything about mass shootings, other than making misleading statements about what his leaders are doing, he should not be supported. ‘Conservatism’ includes love and compassion and deﬁnitely not guns and mass murders. Prabhu Narumanchi Houston

Dan Krenshaw running for seat vacated by Congressman Ted Poe

Hindu-American community shares Jewish Community’s grief Hindus of Greater Houston stand united with the Jewish community of Houston and with the Jewish community world-wide in mourning the lives of 11 victims of the cowardly hate crime which occurred at the Star of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. HGH President Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy stated “Our prayers are with the victims of this hate crime and we hope to see stern action against the perpetrator of this cowardly act.” As Hindus, we strongly denounce all such crimes which are more and more frequently targeting one group or another. We mourn the loss of the lives of these innocent people as they peacefully celebrated their culture in their place of worship. We also grieve for the families and friends of those who lost their lives as well as the police officers who were injured in performing their duties. Hindus everywhere consider that the “whole world is one family” and thus suffer from the senseless deaths and injuries of all. The Hindu American community knows what it is like to be victim of hate crimes and terrorism. We relate to the Jewish community in their time of pain and anguish. We call upon everyone to accept and respect differences. The atmosphere of hate, including the anti-Semitism shown this weekend, that is contrary to the American and Hindu-American traditions, must be denounced.

Read India Herald on line at www.India-herald.com. Download the free India Herald App from the Playstore.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 5

COMMUNITY

Milan Vaishnav wins the first Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize The first Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation Book Prize was awarded to Milan Vaishnav for his book When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Saturday, Oct. 27. When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics was published by Yale University Press and HarperCollins India, in 2017. The book looks at the symbiotic relationship between crime and politics in India. The prize for works of nonfiction was established this year by the New India Foundation, which awards fellowships to scholars and writers researching the history of independent India, and fetches the winner a purse of Rs. 1.5 million. Milan is the son of Mahendra and Sukeshi Vaishnav of Houston. When Crime Pays is an indepth study of “the co-existence of crime and democratic processes in Indian politics”. While accepting the prize, Vaishnav, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explained that six jailed law-makers being released to cast their vote in the no-confidence motion the UPA government faced in 2008 spurred him to explore the subject of the book, according to a report published in The Hindu. Vaishnav’s primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, distributive politics, and electoral behavior. He is also co-editor (with Devesh Kapur) of Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India (Oxford University Press, 2018) and (with Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Devesh Kapur) of Rethinking Public Institutions in India (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Milan Vaishnav His work has been published in scholarly journals such as Asian Survey, Governance, India Review, India Policy Forum, Studies in Indian Politics, and PS: Political Science and Politics. He is a regular contributor to several Indian publications. Previously, he worked at the Center for Global Development, where he served as a postdoctoral research fellow, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has taught at Columbia, Georgetown, and George Washington Universities. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. This prize builds on the New India Foundation’s mission of sponsoring high quality research and writing on all aspects of Independent India. The prize is named after Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay because she worked across many ﬁelds- the freedom struggle, theater, handicrafts, refugee rehabilitation and many more. She was a pioneer in each of these ﬁelds, as well as a true patriot who was also a great internationalist. Open to scholars and writers independent of all nationalities, eligible books should have been published in the previous calendar year. The jury for the prize is

Obituary:

Manjula Natvarlal Mehta (1925-2018) The Mehta family lost their Matriarch, Manjula Natvarlal Mehta (93), On October 22nd, 2018 in Gautier, MS. She was an adventurer, a spiritualist, a healer, and a pragmatist. She easily adapted to her surroundings and exuded strength in the face of diverse challenges. From the small town she was born in, to the city she moved to when she married, to the country (USA) she called home since 1985. She was ever-evolving, ever-loving, ever-helping and always curious to learn more and experience life to her fullest potential. Her tenacious personality and sense of humor will be missed at every family gathering to come. With a ready smile and an open heart, she has left an unforgettable impression on everyone she met. She is survived by her 3 sons – Janak, Pramod (of Houston) and Prakash – and 3 daughters – Jyotsna, Jayshree and Hina (all in Houston) – as well as 14 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and many more family members. The family wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the Houston and Gautier Communities for all their love and support.

made up of the trustees of the New India Foundation – Infosys co-founder and former UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, historian Ramachandra Guha, Chairman and cofounder of Teamlease Services Manish Sabharwal, and Srinath Raghavan, historian and Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research. Six books were shortlisted for this year’s Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize.

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PAGE 6 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

COMMUNITY

Durga Puja at Houston Durga Bari Society Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Durga Bariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Durga Puja was again celebrated with tradition grandeur over eight days â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oct 14-21. It more than lived up to the ďŹ rst Biswa Bangla Sarad Samman award winner in the international category. The Puja was celebrated at the vast temple complex right on a picturesque lake. Durga Bariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temple has Ashtadhatu deities brought from India. The Puja was conducted by the dedicated volunteer priests over four days led by the Head priest Buddhadeb Bhattachariya. All rituals were followed from Bodhon to Bishorjan, from Hom to Chandi path to 108 lotuses during Sandhi Puja. Dedicated volunteers prepared the elaborate Naibidya, Bhog and Dadhikarma with about 4000 attendees from all over Houston, Texas and other states for the Puja. The entire complex became a fun-ďŹ lled festival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the milieu of people milling around with mikes blaring. From the entrance gate to Las Vegas style lighting, we converted the temple complex to a Vegas-Kolkata lighting wonderland. The Pujas brought together young and old â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from second-generation kids and adults to senior citizens, with the theme being â&#x20AC;&#x153;Renew, Revive, Rejoiceâ&#x20AC;?. Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stage saw a powerful lineup of famous artists rocking the Houston crowd. From Iman Chakrabarty to the new Sa Re Ga Ma Pa sensations creating waves back home â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kushal Paul to Mekhla Dasgupta to Suday Sarkar, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs were exciting, high-class and tremendously entertaining. Kushal was easily the top show and had the packed auditorium crowd in raptures. Talented local artists including gifted second-generation kids and adults, performed admirably on stage too. Volunteers cooked delicious food from lunches to bhog to snacks to dinner and served a gourmet food experience. Tutored by the elders, dhaaks (drums) were played by second-generation children, for every arati and bishorjan. For bishorjan, the Kala Bau and the pitchers were taken three times around the temple in a procession and then, immersed in the lake. Houston Durga Bari organization, led by Anindya Chakrabarty and Diptabhas Sarkar, the Puja committee led by Swapan Das and Piyali Chatterjee and 25 teams with 200+ dedicated volunteers organized a great Puja, which the community loved dearly. The coordination and team work and many new faces stepping up to take active roles in the organization show that Durga Bari is in good hands. In short, an authentic Durga Puja ambiance was created right here in Space City in the heart of Texas. Durga Bari will host Kali Puja with dramas, ďŹ reworks and Bangla band Chandrabindoo Nov 2-3.

Volunteer priests Amrit Achari, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, Jaideva Goswami, Head priest Buddhadev Bhattachariya, volunteer priest Sumanta Sanyal, and coordinator Nirmalya Roy.

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Kaushal Paul entertains the audience.

Mehaa From Page 1 but today there are regulations (NSF/ANSI 350 and 305-1) to make it easy for anyone to adopt greywater recycling. She says it is not only good for the environment, but also a good investment due to a reasonable 5-year break-even period. As her next goal, Mehaa plans to reach out to water conservation agencies across the globe to increase awareness of her solution and to build model homes equipped with her product. As 3M is an innovation-driven company allowing employees to use 15% of their time for any research based on personal interest, Mehaa plans to continue to work with Dr. Hanson to create turnkey solutions that include ďŹ lters and tanks required for greywater puriďŹ cation and storage. She has also been contacted by several researchers in India with technologies for handling and purifying grey water to combine their technology with her solution, more particularly on aspects of microbial disinfection techniques. Mehaa believes innovators should focus more on practical issues although it is tempting to work on proďŹ t oriented topics. Mehaa loves to dance, enjoys photography even as she strives to revolutionize current water conservation methods. She was

recognized as one of the Top Indian American Role Models for Girls in the nation and was also recognized in many publications. She was recognized as one of the Top Indian American Role Models for Girls in the nation and was also recognized in many publications. Rishab Jain was named the overall winner of the 2018 Discovery Education and 3M annual Young Scientist Challenge, held Oct. 17 at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn. Jain, 13, created an algorithm to make pancreatic cancer treatment more eďŹ&#x20AC;ective by using artiďŹ cial intelligence to accurately locate and track the pancreas in realtime during MRI radiotherapy, according to a joint 3M and Discovery Education news release. A seventh-grader at Stoller Middle School in Portland, Ore., Jain competed alongside nine other ďŹ nalists during a live competition at the 3M Innovation Center. For being named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Young Scientist,â&#x20AC;? the youngster received a $25,000 prize. The nine ďŹ nalists received $1,000 and a variety of prizes from Discovery Education and 3M. The second, third and fourth runners-up also received a trip to a taping of a show on Discoveryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family of networks, the release said Five of the 10 ďŹ nalists were Indian Americans..

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 7

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 • PAGE 9

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

NEWS

“Vibrant Gujarat” delegation visits Houston

Arvind Agarwal, leader of the Vibrant Gujarat delegation Houston area business leaders met with visiting delegation. The Consulate General of India In Houston recently hosted a reception to the Vibrant Gujarat delegation from India. It was put together in partnership with TiE Houston and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. Chambsr’s executive director, Jagdip Ahluwalia, welcomed a prestigious group of entrepreneurs and community leaders for an evening of networking, dining, and building a stronger relationship between Houston and India. President of TiE Houston, Arun Pasrija, spoke about the vibrancy of Gujarat decades

back during his stay there. Chamber President Swapan Dhairyawan commended the role of the delegation which has been on a road show to six cities, achieving signiﬁcant strides and being able to sign up MoUs in the ﬁeld of Education, Health, Energy & Skilling. The evening began with a sumptuous dinner of food from the Gujarat region. The invitees had a chance to network with the special delegation team lead by Arvind Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance). This delegation is one of several touring the globe to promote their upcoming Vibrant

Gujarat Global Summit which will be taking place on January 18-20, 2019. Vibrant Gujarat Summit was conceptualized in 2003 by the Prime Minister of India and the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, to re-establish Gujarat as a preferred investment destination within India. Today, the Summit has evolved into a platform for brainstorming on agendas of global socio-economic development, in addition to being a facilitator for knowledge sharing and forging eﬀective partnerships. Guests were given an op-

PROGRAMS & SERVICES INDIA HOUSE CHARITY MEDICAL CLINIC Saturday | 9:00 am - 12:30 pm By appointments only FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR NEEDY FAMILIES Twice a month: Next Distribution Date is Tuesday, October 30th 9:00 am - 1:00 pm FREE YOGA CLASSES Tuesday & Thursday | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Saturday | 10:00 am - 11:00 am FREE MEDITATION CLASSES Saturday | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm FREE HINDI LANGUAGE CLASSES Saturday | 10:00 am to 11:00 am FREE VEDANTA STUDY GROUP Saturday | 11:15 am - 12:15 pm FREE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE CLASSES Saturday | 9:00 am - 10:00 am FREE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES FOR SENIORS Sunday | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Registration Required FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION By appointments only Family Law | Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Immigration | 1st & 3rd Wednesday 12:30 pm - 2:00pm FREE LINE DANCE CLASSES Friday | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

portunity to hear from Dr. Anupam Ray, Consul General India, and the leadership of IACCGH and TiE Houston before diving into the presentation from Arvind Agarwal and the rest of the delegation. The question and answer session allowed the guests and delegates to engage in deeper

conversations on how Houston and Gujarat can strengthen their relationship through bilateral trade and partnerships. For more information about the summit, visit https://vibrantgujarat.com/ — Ana Rojas Bastidas, Executive director TiE Houston

WTO sets up dispute panel on India-US export subsidies The World Trade Organisation’s dispute settlement body has set up a panel to examine the US complaint against certain export-subsidy measures by India as both the sides failed to resolve the issue at consultation level, an official said. In March, the US dragged India to the global trade body’s dispute settlement mechanism over export subsidies, saying that these incentives were harming the American companies. “The process of composition of dispute panel is over. The working procedure and the time table for the panel proceedings has been circulated,” the official added. The US has requested for the establishment of a dispute panel to examine the allegations on India’s export incentive measures. Seeking consultation under the aegis of the WTO is the first step of dispute settlement process. If the two nations are not able to reach a mutually agreed solution through consultation, the complainant can request for a WTO dispute settlement panel to review the matter. The US has challenged India’s export subsidy programmes such as Merchandise Exports from India Scheme in the WTO, asserting that these initiatives harm its companies by creating an uneven playing field. They have stated that all WTO members, including India, are required to provide subsidies consistent with provisions of the WTO’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, including refraining from providing subsidies contingent upon export performance. During the consultation process, the US had alleged that India was continuing to grant these export-contingent subsidies and even expanded the scope and scale of the subsidies. India had stated that it was disappointed that the US chose to move forward with a request for a panel, as it believed bilateral consultations held on April 11 were constructive. During the consultations, India provided a detailed understanding of the schemes implemented under its Foreign Trade Policy by answering all the questions raised by the US. India has also said that the schemes identified by the US do not violate India’s WTO obligations and are in conformity with all the elements of the agreement. India’s exports to the US stood at USD 47.9 billion in 2017-18, while imports aggregated at USD 26.7 billion during the same fiscal.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 11

COMMUNITY

Talented young artists raise funds for Sankara Nethralaya

Vignesh Venkataraman , left, Sowmiya Narayanan, Abhisek Balakrishnan, Kamalakiran Vinjamuri , Sanjith Narayanan , Aditya Srivatsan and Karun Salvady. Three young talented violinists along with four percussionists thrilled the audience recently at a fund raiser for Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust . Sowmi Narayanan’s (trustee of S N OM Trust ) idea to involve the youth was taken up enthusiastically by Abhisek Balakrishnan who quickly assembled the group . The artists from the east and west coast all pursuing alternate career paths, having graduated from prestigious universities in the US combined their talents for a good cause. What brought them together is simply their love for Carnatic Music. Using high tech, face time etc. they were able to practice resulting in a melodious, harmonious blend, completely overcoming the complication

that they were trained under diﬀerent style. The invigorating main piece, “Marivere Dikkevarayya” by Patnam Subramania Iyer in Shanmukhapriya ragam and Desadi Thalam provided the right run up to a grand solo by all four percussionists. Other popular compositions such as Anupama Gunambudhi (Atana, Khanda Chapu) and Jagadhodharana (Kapi, Adi) provided contrasting, yet enthralling experience. The popular Govinda Nama devotional couplet was treated to multi-dimensions, when the artists rendered this in a series of ragams and speeds. Another highlight of the program was the Sindhubhairavi thillana, a composition of Sangeetha Kalanidhi A. Kanyakumari, who is also the guru of Kamalaki-

ran. The three violinis Abhishek Balakrishnan (disciple of Delhi Sri P Sunder Rajan), Kamalakiran Vinjamuri (disciple of Kum. A. Kanyakumari) Sanjith Narayanan (disciple of Kamalakiran Vinjamuri) were accompanied by Vignesh Venkataraman (disciple of Umayalpuram Sri K. Sivaraman) on the mridangam, Karun Salvady (disciple of Trichy Sri B. Harikumar) mridangam, Aditya Srivatsan (disciple of Pt. Shantilal Shah) on the tabla and Sri Sowmiya Narayanan (disciple of Ghatam Karthick and Sri V Suresh) on the ghatam. “Our deepest appreciation to Roopa Balakrishnan for her amazing fund raising eﬀort and also bringing awareness of SN to young audiences ,” said Leela Krishnamurthy, Presi-

dent Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust Sankara Nethralaya was established in Chennai 40 years ago by Dr S S Badrinath. Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust was established in 1987 by Mr SV Acharya to raise funds for Sankara Nethralaya Chennai. With funds in excess of $1million raised annually approximately 25,000 free surgeries were performed , 400,000 out patients treated , thousand plus eye screening camps held in rural areas and schools and more than 10,000 free eye glasses dispensed. MESU (Mobile eye surgical unit ) is an operation theatre on wheels providing free service in remote villages where there is no facility available. Screening is done in one bus

and advanced sutureless cataract surgery is performed in the other van. India has the highest number of blind people globally more than 15 million. Sankara Nethralaya is extremely grateful to these young artists who performed free and raised more than $27,000 with so many conﬂicting events on that day. It costs only $65 to perform a free cataract surgery. For further information and to donate wwwsankaranethralayausa.org please contact Leela Krishnamurthy(832-654-9444) President SN OM Trust or Jay Malhotra Trustee (713 - 962-5555). This Diwali give the gift of sight. —By-Mahesh Iyer

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rid of staffi ngAssociaproblems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, TX –your The Hindu Students tion (HSA) would like to regretfully announce that Numbers it will be Good = Good Decisions cancelling its annual Gateway Retreat for the 2017 year. HSA prides itself in building a strong network of young Hindu Americans, and it looks forward to organizing other events in the future that will link students from its various branches. HSA has been reorienting itself in recent months to doing more grassroots work. “We have been focusing more on accomplishing work on the local and branch level,” said Mrinalini Vijalapuram, National President of the Hindu Students Association. “We have been doing this through many different activities including interfaith events with other religious organizations, building community partnerships, and expanding into other campuses that don’t already have HSA branches.” While the cancellation of Gateway may come as a disappointment for many prospective attendees, HSA hopes to get feedback from students on other projects and events that interest its branch members. Currently, several projects, including developing HSA’s podcast series and releasing monthly articles that highlight the accomplishments of members from the various campuses have been the focus of the organization’s efforts. HSA welcomes student and community members to get involved in these activities to help further the goals of the organization. “It is important that we meet the needs of the campuses and communities we serve,” reiterated Ms. Vijalapuram. “We want to make sure that we are putting our attention on projects that will truly benefit them.” -***-

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NEWS

Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) conducts Self-development & Patanjali Yog Teacher training Workshop

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HOUSTON The Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA) Trust conducted third Self-Development and Assistant Teacher program at Arya Samaj of Greater Houston (ASGH). The three-day workshop began on October 5, and concluded on October 7, 2018. The Patanjali Yogpeeth founded by P. P. Swami Ramdev is driven by a core belief that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good health is the birthright of all human beings.â&#x20AC;? To achieve his dream of making the world healthy and disease-free, Swami Ramdev has relentlessly worked to promote good health through the ancient system of Yog. To spread knowledge about Sage Patanjaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core principles of Yog and to make Yog accessible to masses the Pantanjali Yogapeeth conducts yoga camps, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shivirsâ&#x20AC;? and workshops. The Assistant Yog Teacher training Workshop conducted in Houston was part of this noble mission. The workshop was led by

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Indra and Raghubir Singhla receive the certificate from dr. Dilip Sarkar and Shekher Agrawal Dr. Dilip Sarkar and Shri learnt about core principles of Shekhar Agrawal. Dr. Dilip Ayurveda, Healthy Life Style, Sarkar is one of the foremost Disease SpeciďŹ c Asanas/ experts in Yoga Therapy who Pranayama, Yoga and Meditacombines his 45-year experi- tion, Acupressure. Over 60 participants attendence in Western Medicine with his extensive knowledge of In- ed the workshop and gained tegrative Medicine, including a deeper understanding Sage Patanjaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight principles of Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy. Shekhar Agarwal is the Yoga and received systematic president of the Patanjali Yo- training of Yog postures and gpeeth (USA) Trust. He is a meditation. Upon completion fervent advocate of Patanjali of the Assistant Yog Teacher Yog and has been a yog teach- training, the participant can er for the past 20 years. He promote yog and conduct free has been conducting teacher yog-pranayam classes. This training for the past 10 years. training will allow the parThe workshop covered Yoga ticipants to be part of a glob& its Philosophy; Pranayama, al movement pioneered by its Philosophy & Practice; Swami Ramdev to revive the Anatomy & Physiology; Asa- ancient yog science and fulnas & Traditional Exercises; ďŹ ll his dream for Healthy and Bandhas; Chakaras; Mudras; Disease-free world. and Meditation, Acupressure. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Shailaja Menon Furthermore, the participants

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 13

NEWS Global Hindus condemn the desecration of Sabarimala and call for respecting age old traditions and beliefs New Jersey & Chicago, Oct 23, 2018: Hindus across the world condemn the premeditated desecration of Sabarimala and the widespread police atrocities against devotees. Sabarimala is a largest pilgrimage center in the world with estimated number of 50 million devotees visiting every year. The Supreme Court verdict allowing women between the age of 10-50 in response to a petition by non-devotees is an attack on the fabric of Hinduism behind the name of the religious reform and equality. It is against the temple age old-traditions, faith, customs and discriminatory towards Hindus. Protests are being held at various temples, consulates and other areas worldwide to condemn the State Government actions, police atrocities and express solidarity to the devotees who bravely blocked the efforts to sacrilege the place. The handful of the women who attempted to enter have little respect to the sacredness of the place. It deeply hurt the sentiments of Hindus worldwide to find out about the Muslim woman activist who attempted to enter carrying a stained sanitary napkin as an offering to the deity. Protests were held in New York, Chicago on Oct. 27 Several more events are already done and more being planned at various cities. We urge the Hindus that this is not an isolated event but a planned and premeditated attack on the religion by anti-hindu forces, particularly the Christian missionary establishment, leftists and other break India forces. Such attack by Christian missionary establishment on the temple in the prior years is well known (arson and vandalism in 1950). The fact that the temple receives 50 million devotees per year makes it the prime target to destroy the ‘pagan’ religion using every possible method they have tuned from the experience they had after destroying the natives from Americas to Africa to Asia. The Supreme court judges of India who first allowed this petition by non-devotees and then made a judgment brushing aside the defendants arguments that in Hinduism the deity is considered a living God (Prana Pratishta) and the celibate nature of the deity is the reason for not allowing women of age 10-50 and it is not patriarchal since the Kerala/Malayalee community is in fact a matriarchal society, reflected a colonist mindset of our judiciary who are out of touch with general populace. The Supreme Court is be-

ing selective and discriminatory when they ﬁnd violation of fundamental rights because of restrictions of single Hindu temple but does not ﬁnd anything violated with the restrictions of Muslim women from almost every Mosque in the country. And that too a restriction which every Hindu devotee respects and adheres!! Five non-Hindu activist’s concerns matter, but 1 billion+ Hindus’ faith not? The women who are asking temple access are simply trying to denigrate Hinduism and to tear down the fabric of Hinduism and are tools of the larger systematic to break apart Hinduism and then Bharat. It

is important to understand that they are not doing for our sisters, daughters, and moms but an evil agenda. All Hindu reforms should come from within Hindus after thorough analysis, research, study, and understanding. Hindus would involve dharma gurus and scholars to bring needed reforms. Unlike others, Hinduism is progressive and ﬂexible religion. We have reformed in the past and do not need any external elements, especially antiHindu regiment to force us. Supreme Court has no business in hearing cases on religion unless there is a systematic discrimination. This is not isolated event.

The murder of Swami Laxmananda because of his work discouraging conversions in 2008, orchestrated by Rajya Sabha congress member and head of Christian missionary Organization World vision, the arrest of Sankaracharya based on bogus allegations because his work with Dalits is a thorn for conversions, the engineered allegations against Shri Sathya Sai Baba to mass conversions are just few of the examples of direct assault on fabric of Bharat and its ethos by using hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign funding. One by one Hindu way of life is being restricted with a web of media, judiciary and sold out prominent people, just

as they did across the world. Dubious organizations and reasons invented to restrict celebration of Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi and Hindu way of life. Mahatma Gandhi severely criticized the missionary activities and methods and said if he has a chance he would legislate banning all such activities. His strong opposition to the missionary activities is well known. We urge Hindu, no matter where you are to wake up and take note of the designs of antiIndia and anti-Hindu forces and take action, before it is too late. —Satya Dosapati

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 14

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COMMUNITY

Madhya Pradesh Mitra Mandal hosts annual Dal-Baati Picnic

Picture Courtesy – Navin Mediwala Madhya Pradesh Mitra Mandal (MPMM) organized its Annual Dal-Baati Picnic on Sunday, Oct 21 at Bear Creek Park in Houston. Over 225 people who attended, enjoyed the sumptuous food and entertaining programs. The day started with the ever favorite Poha-SevJiravan-Jalebi breakfast. Special arrangements were made to procure Indori sev. For lunch, everyone enjoyed charcoal grill cooked dal-baati – a specialty dish, prepared by attendees at the park. The food feast was followed by Sevparmal and Masala Chai. Attendees danced on catchy Bollywood numbers, performed skits, enjoyed stand-up comedy, and sang melodious songs and entertained everyone. Children came dressed in Halloween costumes and won prizes, adults enjoyed playing

Bollywood Tambola. New families were introduced in a fun way and played exciting games with involvement from the audience. The event provided an excellent platform for family entertainment and food delicacies. This year, a couple of new additions were made such as the photo booth and live Dhol. The MPMM team organized a photo booth with props & sets built on Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh G theme that included pictures related to MP/CG - poha-jalebi, celebrities, slangs used and famous places. Everyone danced to the live dhol beats from Dholi RAX, even doing Garba to keep up the Navratri spirits. This year MPMM welcomed many students from the University of Houston who were from MP/CG. There

was no entry fee for students and they truly appreciated the gesture. It was a nice environment for students as the event felt like a home away from home, especially when they don’t have family in USA. MPMM community gave them a sense of social belonging in USA. The event was organized by Ashish & Pallavi Jain, Gagan & Shilpa Pandey, Pradeep & Pooja Jain, Sanjay & Gunjan Gupta, Bharat Agrawal, Catherine Wong, Ashish & Mukul Kudariya, Aashish & Kuntal Mahoday, Manish Sharma, Pradeep Sharma, Nikhil & Ritu Jain, Ashish & Jyoti Bhandari and several other volunteers who pitched in on the day of the picnic. Their planning, hard work and execution set a new bar in wholesome family entertainment. The management committee

thanked all the volunteers, Rahul Vijaywargiya of Humtumdesi for sponsoring the prizes and Navin Mediwala for capturing stunning images of the picnic. The response to MPMM picnic was so overwhelming this year that RSVPs had to be closed few days before the event, to ensure that the picnic can be managed well. MP Mitra Mandal is an informal community group made up of people who come from Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh states and reside in the Houston area. These states reﬂect “unity in

diversity” in the true sense which is visible amongst the people who attend MPMM events in Houston. The group was started in Houston in 2001 by Ashish Bhandari & Nikhil Jain and has now grown to over 300+ families belonging to various cities like Indore, Raipur, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Bilaspur, Gwalior, Bhilai etc. More details are available at http://mp.aajausa.com/

PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

NEWS Hindu Charities for America Gala raises $70,000 for Scholarships AUSTIN Hindu Charities for America (HC4A) organized its 4th Annual HC4A Gala on October 20, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Austin. The event raised over $70,000 thanks to the contributions from table sponsors and their guests, “Dancing with the Stars” participants and their guests, Gala guests and Silent Auction. The entire fund raised will be used for vocational scholarships and grants for deserving candidates with an economic need in Austin metropolitan area, in the spirit of “Live Here, Give Here!” Sponsors contributed to the cost of the event. The Gala is the signature event of HC4A. All the Gala tickets were pledged by early October. The two Masters of Ceremony for the event were Sujata Ajmera and Sameer Shah. Over 450 Guests attended the gala. The Guests of Honor included Dr. Richard Rhodes, CEO/President of Austin Community college and Steve Adler, Mayor of the City of Austin. Dr. Rhodes in his speech thanked Hindu Charities for

the work it has been doing to bridge income disparity through education by providing vocational scholarships to economically disadvantaged students. Mayor Adler provided his felicitations and encouraged the guests to generously donate and make an impact to those deserving students in the Austin area. Guests mingled, networked and socialized as part of the pre-event gathering. Harish Kotecha, founder and President of HC4A, kicked oﬀ the event. A video highlighting the impact of scholarships in our area was shared. HC4A recognized these individuals for their “Their Passion, Unconditional Commitment & Support” toward HC4A mission: Bhanu & Ashwin Ghatalia, Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, Srivas Venkatesh, Lakshmi & Subba Kondubhatla, Texas Homeless Education Oﬃce & Jennifer Bloom Greenberg. After the speeches, Fundraising Segment was lead by HC4A, Shruti Anand, HC4A Executive Board member and Vijay Mohan Anantula, HC4A Foundation Board member. Scholarship recipient, Stepha-

nie Mbulu, chronicled the impact that the scholarship had on her. She will soon receive her Nursing Diploma. Harish Kotecha, Founder of H4A, was presented with HC4A Award “In recognition for His Vision & Leadership for HC4A” This was followed by an awesome choreographers’ dance showcase – Agni Dance Company, Monsoon Dance, NrityaVarsha Academy and Sargam Dance. These dance schools choreographed our Stars Vijay Mohan Anantula, Anita & Satyajeet Dodia, Ashok & Anita Kumar, Manjima Kundu, Nagavalli Medicharla, Sharmila with Bianca & Anushka Mehta, Jyoti Mistry, Smita Parikh, Malin Pathak & Nupur Sharma. Silent auction was held throughout the event, items included signed picture of sports personalities and Presidents and gift certiﬁcate and jewelry. Fundraising was followed by a 3 course dinner that included entrees and multiple dessert options served in a scrumptious buﬀet style dinner, catered by Taj Restaurant. — Ashok Kumar

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Prince Organization gives employees paid time off to vote in midterm elections Politicians are not the only ones encouraging Americans to vote on Nov. 6. Prince Organization too is making a big push to drive voter turnout encouraging workers to get involved. One of the most honored businesses of America will be offering up to two-hour paid leave to team members who want to participate in the midterm election, the company said in a letter to employees on Monday. Americans may talk more about democracy than exercising it. In the 2014 midterms, only a third of U.S. voters bothered to cast ballots -- the lowest turnout for a national election in the developed world since 1945. Midterm elections, in particular, are notorious for low voter turnout. Americans cite one of two reasons for not casting a ballot: They are either too busy or not interested. Some say that scheduling conflicts, such as work or school, kept them from the polls, according to a 2014 Pew Research Center study. This is one of the reasons the United States has one of the lowest voter participation rates in the world . As a first-generation American voting has always been a big deal for me. I was proud and patriotic. Extending their Corporate Social Responsibility to elections, in a letter to company employees I wrote that the Voting process Instills positive lessons about responsibility, honor, equality, justice, patriotism and leadership. Practicing good citizenship understanding and appreciating our responsibility for civic involvement being good stewards of the communities. Citizenship has taken roots in their kids in the form of two young voters(my sons) who became engaged in the voting process, owning the responsibilities and privileges of American citizenship making them true patriots. Voting reinforces Respect for people and It’s very important that kids inherit a great country and just not a great history. Take the young Voters of tomorrow to the polls today as they will be empowered for The future. This is their chance to be part of history and emerging as PROUD Citizens who’d done a citizen’s noble work. “This is a more neutral way for them to engage, in that this is non-partisan,” said Marick Masters, Wayne State University professor of business who researches business and labor political action. The Organization’s executives are mapping out the closest locations near the hotels and might also carpool the associates. You are the future of this country and continue to practice kindness, compassion and respect for others building bridges of love and respect. No matter how divided we might be in Red or Blue, Voting is your right and a shared experience, a process which everyone should feel proud about as United Americans. For Prince, the policy is non-partisan and designed to give employees, some of whom may be voting for the first time, the chance to be “part of the community and part of the “American Dream.” No American should have to choose between a paycheck and fulfilling his or her duty as a citizen. —SUNIL TOLANI, CEO, Prince Organization

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NEWS Trump picks Chatterjee as chairman of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

India rises ﬁve spots to become 58th most competitive economy

India has been ranked as the 58th most competitive economy on the World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness index for 2018. The U.S. is the most competitive economy in the world. India rose five spots from its 2017 position, the largest gain among G20 economies, the WEF said. On the list of 140 economies, the U.S. was followed by Singapore and Germany at the second and the third positions respectively. India ranked 58th with a score of 62 in the latest Global Competitiveness Report. Meanwhile, neighbouring China was ranked 28th in the overall list. According to the report, the top performers in the “upper and lower middle-income brackets”, such as China and India, are catching up with or even outperforming the average among highincome economies. Among the BRICS economies, China topped the list at the 28th place with a score of 72.6, ahead of the Russian Federation, which was 43rd, South Africa at the 67th position, and Brazil trailing at Neil Chatterjee has been a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission since the 72nd place. India, however, remained the “South Asia’s main August 2017. driving force.” As per the report, India leads the region in all other areas of President Trump has desig- perform the duties of Chair- tricity Advisory Committee. competitiveness except for health, education and skills, where Sri Several weeks ago, he was nated Republican Neil Chatter- man with the level of focus that Lanka boasts the highest healthy life expectancy (67.8 years) and jee as chairman of the Federal the position demands and that named as McIntyre’s replacethe workforce with the highest amount of schooling (9.8 years). Energy Regulatory Commis- FERC and the American people ment to deliver the closing key“India and Sri Lanka are also the ones that can rely on the most deserve,” McIntyre wrote. “I note address at the Energy Bar sion. efficient infrastructure system. India has invested more heavily The president announced his therefore propose to step aside Association’s Mid-Year Energy on transport infrastructure and services, while Sri Lanka has the intent tonight, ending weeks from the position of Chairman Forum in Washington on Tuesmost modern utility infrastructure,” it added. of speculation that Kevin Mc- and its additional duties so that day after McIntyre canceled. As per the report, India’s greatest competitive advantages inMcIntyre was last seen in Intyre, the agency’s current I can commit myself fully to clude its market size, innovation (in particular the quality of its chairman, would relinquish my work as Commissioner, public in his capacity as FERC research establishments) and business dynamism, including the his leadership role (Greenwire, while undergoing the treatment chairman at the July 19 open number of disruptive businesses. necessary to address my health meeting. He did record a podOct. 18). While the areas that the country needs to improve include, cast Sept. 11 to discuss liqueHe did that in a Monday issues.” labour market, in particular the workers rights, product market Chatterjee served briefly fied natural gas developments letter to President Trump that (trade tariffs, specifically) and skills (in particular pupil-teacher as FERC chairman from Au- at FERC. FERC ratio). Trump nominated Bernard In 2017, McIntyre had sur- gust 2017 until that December, Other countries in the top 10 include the following in ascendMcNamee to fill the vacant seat gery for a cancerous brain tu- when McIntyre was sworn in. ing order: Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands, Hong Kong, United He has been standing in fre- left by the exit of Robert Powmor (Energywire, March 12). Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. “I very recently experienced quently for McIntyre, including elson. The Senate is expected The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index a more serious health setback, yesterday at the meeting of the to take up the nomination after 4.0 is a composite indicator that assesses the set of factors that leaving me currently unable to Department of Energy’s Elec- the midterm elections. determine an economy’s level of productivity and is widely considered the most important determinant of long-term growth.

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PAGE 18 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Art Museum Kannappan Art Museum will be open for public Tuesday 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM, Saturday 10AM to 2 PM, Sunday 12 noon to 4 PM. Address: 2341 N. Galveston Ave, Pearland, TX 77581. Ashirwad Classes for Kids in Katy Enrollments are open for Indian Heritage classes for Kids and Teens from 4 to 16 yrs. Class curriculum includes Yoga, Meditation, Sloka, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagwad Githa, Sports Day, VEDIC Fair Presentations, Dance, Drama, Hindi & more. Contact : 281-995-0930 or AshirwadABlessing@gmail.com. Durga Bari Temple Durga Bari temple is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at 7 p.m. Sunday special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Temple is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. Arya Samaj Satsang Weekly Havan Satsang every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. DAV Sanskriti School Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to 7 years. Call Arti Khanna 281-759-3286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6). 281-752-0100. Sri Meenakshi Temple 17130 McLean Road, Pearland,TX-77584 Grand Diwali Celebration, Saturday, Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to midnight. Free health fair 9 a.m. to 12 noon. BUY

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Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Center is open 7 days a week. The center oďŹ&#x20AC;ers free Raja Yoga Meditation classes: MonFri @ 6:00-6:45am and 7-8 pm, Sat-Sun @ 7:00-8:30am, 10 am-2 pm. Visiting hours are Sat-Sun @ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact us at (832) 379-8888, houston@bktexas. com, or bktexas.com to sign-up for classes. All Raja Yoga Meditation teachers at the Houston center are samarpit and have 15+ years of teaching experience. Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. A unique Bala Vihar program for each grade, from PreK to Grade 12. Satsangs in two sessions between 8:35 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. - 1p.m. Bala Vihar students can take shloka, bhajan and orchestra classes or language classes for Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati. Chinmaya Mission is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members may visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please visit www. chinmayahouston.org or contact Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233 for more information. Jeeyar Educational Trust Translate knowledge into action classes every Sunday at 10:15 a.m to 12 p.m. at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, 10098 Synott Road, Sugar Land, Tx 77498. Call 785 550 3621 or 832-334-9163. Visit www. ashtalakshmi.org for registration. Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH (oďŹ&#x192;cial Branch CenOLD

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ter of Ramakrishna Math, Belur), 14809 Lindita Dr. (77083), has lectures & talks on every Sunday 11 am - 12 pm, followed by Arati & Prasad; Bhagwad Gita Class on Tuesdays, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm; and Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna on Thursdays, 11 am - 12 pm. Rev. Sw. Atmarupanandaji, the Resident Monk, gives all classes, lectures & talks. Ramnaam Sankirtan is on 1st Saturdays 6 pm - 7 pm. Please visit www.houstonvedanta. org or call 281- 988-7211. Jain Society Jain Society of Houston, JSH, is located at 3905 Arc Street Houston Texas 77063. Key tenets of Jainism are: Non-violence - Ahimsa, Philanthropy with multicity in views â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anekantvad, No possessiveness - Aparigrah, Right Knowledge -- Samyak Gyan, Right Path â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samyak Darshan, and Right Conduct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samyak Charitrya. Diwali 2018 shall be celebrated on November 4, 2018. Pratishtha Anniversary shall be celebrated with Adhar Abhishek, Gyan Pacham and a related pujan on November 10 and 11 under the auspices of the JSH Scholar and Guest, Shri Shrenikbhai Gala. JSH has Jain Pathshala Classed for students of all ages each Sunday starting at 10:15 AM. The center is open M-F from 7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM to 6 PM. Call Jain Center at 713 789 2338 or visit www.jainsocietyhouston.org for calendar of events and other detailed information. Shiv Shakti Mandir Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies. Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness Meditation is a practical technique of tuning inwards to experience our higher selves. Meditation with someone who has the capacity of yogic transmission can help you explore the Heartfulness practice more deeply. There are no charges for this, and we invite you to experience the unique beneďŹ ts of this transmission. Workshops on Heartfulness relaxation and meditation are held weekly throughout Houston. Web: www.heartfulness.org; Email: houston.heartfulness@gmail.com. Cell: 713-929-0040. Hare Krishna Dham Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30 a.m, 7 a.m, 8.30 a.m, 12 noon, 4.30 p.m, 7 p.m, 9 p.m. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 p.m. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com Houston Namadwaar A prayer house where the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gopa Kuteeramâ&#x20AC;? childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281-402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity). Saumyakasi Sivalaya Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is located

at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Temple timings: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. For more information Contact 281-568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059 or visit www.saumyakasi.org Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple Darshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All major festivals as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-4669868 for puja and other ceremonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036. Veerashaiva Samaja VSNA Houston is a group of families who believe in Veerashaiva dharma (Basava dharma). Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166. Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281261-4603. Telugu Christian Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., StaďŹ&#x20AC;ord TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship is in English. For information call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. Vijay Gurrala 281-997-0757. Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St. (77035) Tel: 713-7298994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us Preksha Meditation JVB Preksha Meditation Center conducts weekly Meditation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions inside its unique Pyramid hall under the auspicious guidance of Samani Kanchan Pragyaji and Samani Pranav Pragyaji who are stationed at Houston Center this year. It also runs special events and programs like I-Choose, Meditation Camps and Gyanshala program for children ages 4-14 yrs. JVB is located at 14102 Schiller Rd. Houston 77082. Every Tuesday, 9:30am11:30am, Samaniji has pravachan for all adults interested in learning about Jainism. Every Wednesday there is Swadhyay class from 7-8pm and meditation from 8-9pm. Every Thursday from 9:30-11am there is special Yoga class for Ladies only. Every Saturday, there is Yoga Class from 9-10am and Meditation from 10-10.30am. Ist & 3rd Sundays, there is Gyanshala Classes for Kids ages 4-14yrs. from 10-12:15pm followed by Lunch.

Visit www.jvbhouston.org or send email at info@jvbhouston.org for more details. Patanjali Yogpeeth Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For other free classes, call Indra 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. www.pyptusa.org; www.DivyaProducts.com. Hindu Temple of The Woodlands 7601 S. Forest Gate Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77382 Temple Hours, Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM 5:30 PM - 8.30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Aarti at 12:00 PM 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM; Contact 832-585--0001 or temple@myhtw.net Sathya Sai centers Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Malcomson Road, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Drive, Sugar Land) from 3:00 to 5:30 pm) - Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) classes for children; Study Circle for adults & Devotional singing for all. Service programs - food distribution, canned food drives, nursing home visits, tutoring at schools, etc. Contact Venkat Rao (North) - 602-503-2249 or Ranji Raghavan (South) 281-451-8238. Visit www.sairegion10.org Sadhu Vaswani Center Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-4630379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com Gaudiya Math Shri Govindji Gaudiya Matha is a Hindu Vaishnava temple of Sanatan Dharam and worshipping place of Shri Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Gaur Nitai & Shri Ram Darbar. Mandir is open daily from 5.30 AM until 8.30 PM. The services are held from 5.30PM to 7.30PM followed by delicious prashad. Daily Aarti times : Mangala Aarti5:30 am. Bhog Aarti - 12:30 pm. Evening Aarti - 7:00 pm. Enroll your child in Sri Govindaji Vedic School. We oďŹ&#x20AC;er Hindi classes for all ages. Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha is located in Northwest Houston at 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd Houston TX 77084. For more information, call at 832-4644686 or visit our website: http:// sggm.org. Swaminarayan Temple Hindu Satsang at Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, under Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi kalupur. Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Daily aarti at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday sabha from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. followed by aarti at 7 p.m. and Maha-Prasad (free dinner). www.issotx.org. (281) 530-2565. Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha West Indian Religious Organization called Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha Branch # 377 is located at 26100 Tina Lane, Katy, TX 77494. Durga Mata Pooja is held every Friday from 7 pm to 9.30 pm. Contact Ram Sharma @ 713-4129985.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • PAGE 19

NEWS

India’s rickshaw revolution leaves China in the dust

Atul Gawande, Divya Nag and Raj Panjabi make it to Time’s most-inﬂuential ‘Health Care 50’ US list

(L-R) Atul Gawande, Divya Nag and Dr Raj Panjabi E-rickshaw drivers wait for passengers at a rickshaw stand Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg) An electric-vehicle revolu- Goldie Srivastava, chief extion is gaining ground in India, ecutive officer and co-founder and it has nothing to do with of SmartE, an Uber-style app cars. The South Asian nation is using 800-plus e-rickshaws home to about 1.5 million bat- around New Delhi. “When we tery-powered, three-wheeled look at electric mobility, the rickshaws – a fleet bigger than focus should be: Are you as a the total number of electric government enabling products passenger cars sold in China that are designed for the future?’’ since 2011. India’s dominant ride-hailBut while the world’s largest auto market dangled significant ing startup, Ola, plans to place subsidies to encourage pur- 10,000 e-ricks in its service by chases of battery-powered cars, next April. India is the world’s fourthIndia’s e-movement hardly got largest auto market, but previa hand from the state. Rather, drivers of the ubiq- ous attempts to boost private uitous three-wheelers weav- electric-car ownership flopped. ing through crowded, smoggy The government likely scaled streets discovered that e-rick- back because it fears disruptshaws are quieter, faster, clean- ing an industry that contributes er and cheaper to maintain than about 7 per cent of the total a traditional auto rickshaw. gross domestic product, acThey also are less strenuous cording to a Bloomberg NEF than cycle rickshaws, which report in March. Unlike the esrequire all-day peddling. So timated 1.35 million passenger with more rides possible in a EVs cruising around China, the day, the e-rickshaws are prov- number of electric cars plying Indian roads is a paltry 6,000, ing more lucrative. As many as 11,000 new e- according to BNEF data. Chirickshaws hit the streets every nese automakers sell more than month, and annual sales are that in three days. India’s largest automaker, expected to increase about 9 per cent by 2021, according Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., won’t to Rahul Mishra, a principal sell its first EV until 2020. Prime Minister Narendra at consulting firm A.T. Kearney. Three-wheeled vehicles Modi’s administration now make up a $1.5 billion market, is pivoting toward promoting and manufacturers of electric EVs in public transportation versions include Mahindra and fleet operations – primar& Mahindra Ltd. and Kinetic ily, two- and three-wheelers, Engineering Ltd., along with taxis and buses. The Ministry smaller outfits that assemble of Finance is finalizing a plan to spend about 40 billion ruparts imported from China. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime, pees ($600 million) in the next transformational opportunity five years to improve the nathat we’re looking at,’’ said tion’s charging infrastructure

in New Delhi, India. (Source: and subsidize e-buses. Anil Chaudhary and his new e-rickshaw. (Source: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg) “India needs to focus on electrifying two-wheelers and three-wheelers,’’ said Amitabh Kant, chief executive of NITI Aayog, a government policy institute helping formulate the new strategy. Outside an east Delhi metro station, a slew of partly openair vehicles line the street as commuters hail their rides. They also carry tourists, schoolchildren, crates of fruit and the occasional goat. Anil Chaudhary, 32, switched to an e-rickshaw from a cycle model two years ago. His income increased, he’s able to take longer breaks and he sends money to his wife and three children in Bihar, about 700 miles away. He’s already on his second electric model. “Two months ago, I called my brother from the village and gave him my old e-rickshaw so that he could drive it,’’ he said as a goat strolled past. “I’ve bought this new one,” he said, gesturing toward a glossy, red vehicle adorned with paper flowers and an Indian flag. Then there’s the ameliorative effect that e-ricks have on the toxic air in India, home to 10 of the world’s most-polluted cities, according to the World Health Organization. A total of 635,698 three-wheel vehicles were sold during the fiscal year that ended in March – a 24 per cent increase from a year ear-

Three Indian-Americans have been named in the Time magazine’s 2018 list of the 50 most inﬂuential people whose work is transforming healthcare in the US. The three Indian-Americans included in the list are Divya Nag, Dr Raj Panjabi and Atul Gawande. To put together the list, Time’s team of health editors and reporters nominated people who made signiﬁcant contributions to the state of healthcare in America this year. The publication then evaluated their work on originality, impact and quality. The list was broken up into four separate categories, including public health, treatments, cost and technology. The list included physicians, scientists, business and political leaders, whose work is transforming healthcare. Divya Nag At not even 30, Nag is leading Apple’s special projects focusing on health. Nag’s team developed ResearchKit, an open-source app developer for doctors and researchers to share patient results and clinical data, and this fall it announced groundbreaking new tools for the Apple Watch: the Series 4 includes an emergency response system, in case the wearer falls and doesn’t

respond, and a medical-grade EKG heart-rate monitor. Dr Raj Panjabi A Harvard Medical School professor who came to the US as a refugee from Liberia, Panjabi co-founded Last Mile Health to recruit and train community health workers in areas that lack local health services. Last Mile’s efforts were crucial in fighting Ebola from 2014 to 2016, and now Panjabi is building Community Health Academy, a mobile platform for training health care workers remotely through video and audio instruction. Atul Gawande Gawande was tapped to lead a new nonprofit health care venture that will cover the more than 1 million employees of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. Though few details are public, it’s said to focus on transparent, low-cost corporate health care. “The American health care system has been plagued for decades by major problems, from lack of access to uncontrolled costs to unacceptable rates of medical errors,” the Time editors wrote in a report unveiling the list. “And yet, real as those issues remain, the field has also given rise to extraordinary innovation,” the editors added.

lier, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. By comparison, about 3.3 million passenger cars were sold, mostly all powered by gasoline or diesel. One hindrance to the potential growth of EVs is the lack of charging and battery-swapping stations nationwide. India had about 425 publicly available charging points at the end of last year. By 2022, government and private efforts are expected to boost that to an estimated 2,800 charging points, according to BNEF. Instead of waiting, some companies are starting to build their own infrastructure. SmartE partnered with Delhi Metro Rail Corp. to provide charging near 10 stations, with plans to expand throughout the 214-station system by the end of 2020. Another hindrance is the lack of bank financing for traditional rickshaw drivers, who typically earn low incomes, said Shishir Agrawal, managing director of Shigan eVoltz Ltd., the parent company of manufacturer GreenRick. The Gurgaon-based company, which sells e-rickshaws mostly in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, could more than triple production to 1,000 vehicles a month if that issue was resolved. The potential market for e-rickshaws could be sales of 20 million vehicles a year, he said. “If the subsidies get better, and easy financing options become available, this market is unstoppable,” Agrawal said.—Indian Express

PAGE 20 â&#x20AC;¢ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;¢ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

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